The Stations of the Cross (or Way of the Cross) are a 14-step Catholic devotion commemorating Jesus Christ's final day on Earth, focusing on his Passion, Crucifixion, and Burial. These scenes are used for prayer and meditation, particularly during Lent and on Good Friday.
Below are the series I created for St. Patrick's Church in Baton Rouge, LA. The church went through extensive renovations in 2025-2026 and the overall idea was to bring more color to the neutral tones of the interior. This determined the color palette for the series: warm tones with light/dark blues and red/burgundy accents. This color palette also picked up the colors in the church's stained glass windows.
The Building Committee overseeing the renovation also decided that the paintings should be in a realistic style. To keep the paintings from being too repetitive and static, I varied the viewpoint from Station to Station. Some scenes are shown closer (Jesus Meets His Mother, Jesus is Stripped of His Garments) – with some cropping of the figures. Some are shown from a more distant point, with figures in the focal point shown at full height (Jesus Carries the Cross, Jesus is Nailed to the Cross).
The Building Committee overseeing the renovation also decided that the paintings should be in a realistic style. To keep the paintings from being too repetitive and static, I varied the viewpoint from Station to Station. Some scenes are shown closer (Jesus Meets His Mother, Jesus is Stripped of His Garments) – with some cropping of the figures. Some are shown from a more distant point, with figures in the focal point shown at full height (Jesus Carries the Cross, Jesus is Nailed to the Cross).
I was greatly honored to be invited to participate in this important project. The painting process took about 15 months - after all the approvals were received. Below are the initial sketches that were presented to the Building Committee. I also painted a sketch of the face of Jesus (based on the reconstruction made from the Shroud of Turin), which became the inspiration for all the full size paintings of the Stations of the Cross.
Renovated St. Patrick's Church with new Stations of the Cross installed on two adjacent walls.
